Manchester United Signs Adnan Januzaj, Billed as the Next David Beckham

I’m not a Manc, nor am I someone who follows the Premier League too carefully, but I do know that when a player receives the billing of “the next David Beckham,” chances are he won’t be that good. Think about it — what do Isaiah Rider and Jerry Stackhouse have in common? They were both billed as the next Jordan. What do they each have in common now? They never came close to the hype.

Such will likely be the case for young Adnan Januzaj, who reportedly has signed with Manchester United. The Mirror says the Reds have agreed on a four-year deal with the 16-year-old that will pay the young Belgian 120K pounds per year. In dollars, that comes out to nearly 200K per season, which will keep young Adnan rolling in waffles for many years to come.

I have no idea how good this kid is or isn’t, I just know there’s an enormous amount of pressure already being placed on him. Freddy Adu was billed as a superstar when he was 14 and got drafted by D.C. United. Though he’s good enough to play for the U.S. National Team, you better be Pele good to live up to the hype of being drafted at 14. Januzaj must be plenty talented to be signed to such a deal, but you have to wonder if he’ll develop the way people think he should with the enormous pressure put on him. Hopefully he will.